Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams

Altho I have written you a very long Letter by way of Newyork,1 yet should one vessel go to Boston without a few lines from me, I flatter myself
you would be dissapointed.

Captain Cushing and Lyde both dined here yesterday. Each of them expect to sail in
all this month, but Cushing in the course of the present week. By him I send you a
set of shirts, as we had your measure I supposed it was as well to send them made
up, as to { 97 } trouble our Friends to do it for you. I have also sent a peice of linen which mr Jenks
has engaged to pack up with some things which he is sending to mr Tufts, and which
is to be deliverd to your Aunt Cranch for the use of your Brothers. By mrs Hay I have
sent several little bundles to my Friends (She is gone in a British bottom by way
of Newyork,) amongst which is silk for a waistcoat for you and your Brother Charles,
which you are to have made for commencment day. The Books you requested are also sent
by Captain Cushing. If there is any thing more you wish, write me word and I will
procure it for you, because I know you will circumcribe your wish to my ability. If
that was more ample, many should I rejoice to benefit by it. But if we are not the
favorites of fortune, let us be; what is of much more importance to us, the Votaries
of Virtue, and consider that being denied the former we are secured from many temptations
that always attend upon that fickle Dame. The Prayer of Augur, was that of a wise
Man, who was aware that Poverty might expose him to acts of injustice towards his
fellow creatures, and riches, to ingratitude towards his Maker. He therefore desird
that middle state which would secure him from the temptation of the first, and Gaurd
him from the impiety of the latter.2 And in that middle State, I believe the largest portion of Humane happiness is to
be found. Riches always create Luxery, and Luxery always leads to Idleness Indolence
and effeminacy which stiffels every noble purpose, and withers the blossom of genious
which fall useless to the ground, unproductive of fruit.

Your Sister has written you so many pages that I suppose she has not left me any thing
material to write to you but as I am very rarely honourd with a sight of any of them
I shall venture, tho I repeat what has already been written, to inform you that mr
Jefferson is here from Paris, and that the treaty with portugal will be compleated
in a few days.3 Conferences have been held with the Tripoline minister who is here. The subject terms
of Treaty &c been all transmitted to Congress,4 and it is for them to decide whether they will purchase a Peace, or whether they
will submit to a War which will cost them 3 times as much as a peace, provided they
had Ships for the purpose, and after all, will be obliged to make a peace, redeem
their prisoners, and pay a still larger tribute than is at present demanded, tho that
is very great, or will they take an other whole year to decide upon the subject. This
month compleats one, since the appointment of Lamb, who is not yet got to Algiers and when he { 98 } does, get there, by all accounts, he will not find a greater Barbarian than himself.
Is this for the Honour of our Country to send such characters as a specimin of our
Nation!

Do the united States wish to become the Scorn of Europe and the laughing Stock of
Nations, by withholding from Congress those powers which would enable them to act
in concert, and give vigor and strength to their proceedings. The states dishearten
many able Men from joining in their counsels, whose years and experience teach wisdom,
and send their beardless Boys to cavil at words, with all the pedantick and shallow
Pierian draughts which intoxicate the Brain, who know perhaps how to place their comas
and points, but to the weighty matters of the State are quite incompetent, who know
no more of the nature of Goverment, or possess any clearer Ideas of the politicks
of nations than the Member of Parliament understood of the Geography of America when
he talkd of the Island of Virginia.5

Heaven forgive me if I form too unfavourable an opinion of them, but many of the states
do not certainly attend sufficiently to the experience and abilities of those to whom
they commit, not only their own most important Interests, but those of generations
yet to come. Nor are the states fully represented, seven are not competant to Money
Matters. Nor do they chuse to transact any buisness of importance. By this means their
affairs lag on from Month to Month, even when their is the greatest call for desicion.
To those who love their Country and wish to serve her, this conduct becomes burdensome
and puts them out of all Patience. But why should I preach, it will do no good. As
to this Country—

2. A paraphrase of Proverbs, 30:8–9: “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with
food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or
lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my { 99 } God in vain.”

3. The treaty was not signed until 25 April. See AA2 to JQA, 25 April, below.

5. AA may have been referring to a comment by John Fothergill in his “An English Freeholder's
Address to His Countrymen” in which he writes, “The Island of Virginia has been spoken of in a Court of Judicature, by a learned pleader; and similar instances of a general ignorance, a criminal one, of this vast
region, pervaded the Country, the Universities, the Courts of Law, the Legislature
in too general a manner, and even Administration itself” (John Coakley Lettsom, The Works of John Fothergill, M.D. . . . with Some Account of His Life, London, 1784, p. 478).

John Adams to Richard Cranch

[dateline] Grosvenor Square March 20. 1786

[salute] Sir

In a Letter to R. R. Livingston, Secretary of state for foreign Affairs, dated The
Hague July 23. 1783, I gave him an account of Conversations with Mr. Van Berckel and
others, in which I learn'd that there were in holland a great Number of Refineries
of Sugar; “that all their own Sugars were not half enough to employ their Sugar Houses,
and that at least one half of the sugars refined in Holland were the Production of
the French West India Islands. That these Sugars were purchased chiefly in the Ports
of France. That France, not having sugar-Houses, for the refinement of her own sugars,
but permitting them to be carried to Amsterdam, and Rotterdam, for Manufacture She
might be willing that they should be carried to Boston New York and Philadelphia,
from her own Ports in Europe in American Bottoms.”1

That the Sugars which America might purchase, would be paid for in Articles more advantageous
to France, than the Pay which is made by the Dutch. That if any Sugars refined in
Holland are afterwards sold in France, it would be less against her Interest to have
them refined in America, because the Price, would be laid out in french Produce and
Manufactures. That there is a difference between us and the Dutch and all other nations,
as We Spend in Europe all the Profits We make and more. The others do not. That if
French Sugars refined in Holland, are afterwards Sold in other Parts of Europe (as
they are in Petersbourg and all round the Baltic in Germany and Italy) We have Sugar
Houses as well as the Dutch and it would be as Well that We should sell them, because
our sugarhouses ought not to be more obnoxious to french Policy or Commerce, than
theirs. That as there is in America a great Consumption of sugar, it is not the Interest
of any Nation who have { 100 } sugars to sell, to lessen the Consumption, but on the contrary they should favour
it, in order to multiply Purchasers and quicken the Competition by which the Price
is raised. None.

That if the worst Should happen, and all the nations who have Sugar Islands, should
forbid Sugars to be carried to America, in any other, than their own Bottoms, We might
depend upon having enough of this Article at the Freeports, to be brought away in
our own ships, if We should lay a Prohibition or a Duty on it, in foreign ships. To
do either, the States must be united, which the English think cannot be. Perhaps the
French think so too, and in time they may perswade the Dutch to be of the same Opinion.
It is to be hoped We shall disappoint them, all in a Point so just and reasonable,
When We are contending only for an equal Chance for the Carriage of our own Productions,
and the Articles of our own Consumption: When We are willing to allow to all other
Nations, even a free Competition with Us, in this Carriage, if We cannot Unite; it
will discover an Imperfection and Weakness in our Constitution, which will deserve
a serious Consideration.

[dateline] March 24.

I had begun to write you upon this Subject, but concluding to write particularly to
Govr Bowdoin, I beg leave to refer you to him.2

I have given him an History of Mr Boylstons Voyage to France, Sale of a Cargo of Oil
and Purchase of sugars.3 It is the first Attempt, or Experiment of the Plan which I mentioned frequently in
my Letters to Mr Livingstone 3 years ago4 But every Thing written to Congress is lost. Our Merchants have not discovered so
much Industry and Ingenuity as was expected. The Idea of sending to Europe from America
for Sugars is odd, but We must come to it and shall find our Account in it.

3. With the proceeds from the sale of whale oil in France, Thomas Boylston purchased
raw sugar to ship to Boston for refining and exportation to Europe or Russia (JA to James Bowdoin, 24 March, MHi: Winthrop Papers). Boylston's effort was part of a larger plan on his part to establish
a regular trade in American whale oil, French goods, and West Indian sugar. For the
specifics of his plan see Jefferson, Papers, 9:29–31. His negotiations resulted in the lowering of duties on all whale oil imported
by Americans into France on either French or U.S. vessels (same, 9:88).